CNN Officially Names Piers Morgan as King’s Successor

By Andrew Gauthier 

TVSpy

It’s finally official: Piers Morgan will succeed Larry King on CNN.

After months of speculation and predictions, CNN announced on Wednesday that Morgan, the “America’s Got Talent” judge and former editor of the Daily Mirror, would take over King’s 9pm timeslot. In a press release, CNN described the show, which will debut in January, as “a candid, in-depth newsmaker interview program.”

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The move is part of a primetime overhaul at CNN that includes the new “Parker Spitzer” show at 8pm. As ratings have slipped for CNN’s lineup in recent years, the network has struggled to define itself amid the strong, partisan personalities on MSNBC and Fox News. “In hiring Mr. Morgan,” writes Brian Stelter of The New York Times, “CNN is making a statement that it still thinks there is room in prime time for long-form interviews with public servants and starlets, a stark contrast to the partisan pundits on its higher-rated rivals, Fox News and MSNBC.” More…

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